PLENTY OF PLUCK SNAPPY WAYS TO DRESS UP CHICKEN BREASTS.

Byline: Natalie Haughton Food Editor

For those crunched for time, boneless, skinless chicken breasts rank high as protein picks for dinner fare. Consumers prefer chicken breasts over other parts by a margin of two to one according to surveys by the National Chicken Council. And no wonder.

They're a versatile, nutritious, reasonably priced, fast fix that can be gussied up in an endless number of ways. In terms of fat content, breast meat is the most lean (a 3-ounce portion of skinless, boneless baked chicken breast has 120 calories and 1.5 grams fat compared to 130 calories and 4 grams fat in skinless, boneless baked drumstick meat).

Although chicken breasts are great to cut up and use in stir-fries, salads, sandwiches and such, today we're focusing on quickly sauteed breast halves as entrees with an array of fast ways to top or sauce them. Most of the creations can be turned out in a jiffy - a boon for tired cooks, especially after the busy holiday season.

Keep in mind that the mild flavor of chicken lends itself as a canvas for subtle to bold seasonings. You'll only be limited by your imagination.

Among the ideas here are a taco-seasoned breast topped with an avocado corn salsa, a Marsala wine-sauced chicken breast with sliced mushrooms and a sprinkling of fresh parsley, a creamy roasted red pepper sauce and much more.

If the chicken breasts have no coating, you can saute or brown them in a skillet - or use a grill pan. Other options - either broil or grill the breasts - and finish the sauce in a skillet. Start with the recipes here and adapt to suit your cooking style.

For convenience, buy already boned and skinned breasts. Granted, they cost a little more, but we think they're worth it. Be sure to refrigerate raw chicken promptly once you get it home from the store. Freeze uncooked chicken if not using within two days.

Keep a stash of breasts in the freezer so you can turn out dinner in a hurry. They are easily thawed on a moment's notice in the microwave oven.

With these simple creations, you can whip up something for dinner faster than stopping and waiting at a takeout food establishment. Serve with assorted salads, mashed potatoes, pasta, rice, couscous and hot cooked veggies of your choice.

CHICKEN MARSALA

(cover recipe)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/4 pounds)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil OR vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley OR 1 tablespoon parsley flakes

1 cup sliced mushrooms (3 ounces)

1/2 cup dry Marsala wine OR chicken broth

Hot cooked pasta (optional)

Flatten each chicken breast half to 1/4-inch thickness by gently pounding between sheets of plastic wrap or waxed paper. Mix flour, salt and pepper. Coat chicken with flour mixture; shake off excess flour. Heat oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook garlic and parsley in oil 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add chicken to skillet. Cook, turning once, until brown. Add mushrooms and wine. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, turning chicken once, until chicken is no longer pink in center. Serve with pasta. Makes 4 servings.

From ``Betty Crocker's Quick & Easy Cookbook.''

TACO CHICKEN WITH CORN SALSA

1 (1 1/4-ounce) envelope taco seasoning mix

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1 1/4 pounds)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 (11-ounce) can whole kernel corn with red and green peppers, drained

1 medium avocado, pitted, peeled and chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 teaspoon honey

Reserve 2 teaspoons taco seasoning mix in medium bowl. Coat chicken with remaining taco seasoning mix. Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken in oil 3 to 5 minutes, turning once, until brown. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook about 8 minutes, turning once, until chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut. While chicken is cooking, add remaining ingredients to reserved taco seasoning mix; toss gently. Serve salsa with chicken. Makes 4 servings.

From ``Betty Crocker's Quick & Easy Cookbook.''

CHICKEN WITH RED PEPPER SAUCE

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 (12-ounce) jar roasted red peppers

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

3 garlic cloves, chopped

Pound chicken breasts slightly to flatten evenly. Season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add chicken breasts and cook over medium-high heat until browned on the outside and white in center but still moist, 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, drain roasted peppers into a sieve, rinse and drain well. In a food processor, combine roasted peppers with cream, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Process until smooth. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. When chicken is cooked, remove to a serving platter. Add garlic to pan and cook, stirring, until soft and fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour pepper puree into pan and heat through. Spoon red pepper sauce over chicken and serve. Makes 6 servings.

From ``The 5 in 10 Chicken Breast Cookbook: 5 Ingredients in 10 Minutes or Less,'' by Melanie Barnard and Brooke Dojny.

BRIE AND APPLE CHICKEN BREASTS

3 tablespoons butter

1 small apple, cored and thinly sliced (skinned, if desired)

4 slices brie cheese

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1/2 teaspoon EACH salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 to 2 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup apple cider

1 cup chicken broth

Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large, nonstick saute pan over medium-high heat. Add apples and saute until softened. Set pan aside because you will need it again. Tuck a slice of brie and several slices of apple into pocket on underside of chicken breasts between breasts and tenderloin (or cut pocket in breast). Season chicken with salt and pepper. Pat a little flour onto both sides of each chicken breast.

In a saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon butter with vegetable oil over high heat. When very hot, add chicken breasts and brown on both sides. Cover pan and cook over medium high heat about 7 to 9 minutes, turning once, until chicken is cooked through (check with knife).

While chicken is cooking, make sauce. Pour cider and broth into saute pan and boil over high heat until reduced to about 3/4 to 1 cup. Swirl in remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper. To serve, divide chicken among 4 plates and pour a little sauce over each. Makes 4 servings.

VARIATION: Brie cheese tends to run out of pocket in breast. To save time and for convenience, do not stuff chicken with apples and brie. Simply cook chicken breasts (do not flour) on both sides in large skillet or grill pan in 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil until brown and cooked through, turning a few times. Prepare sauce as directed above; stir in sauteed apple slices. Before removing chicken from skillet, top each breast half with a brie slice, cover and cook 1 minute until cheese is barely melted. Serve sauce over and around chicken.

CRISPY CHICKEN DIJON

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound)

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 tablespoons Dijon OR honey mustard

1/3 cup plain dry bread crumbs

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Rinse chicken; pat dry. Coat chicken pieces with flour, shaking off excess. Spread chicken with mustard, then roll in bread crumbs to coat evenly. In a large skillet, over medium heat, cook chicken in hot oil 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until done. (If chicken browns too quickly, reduce heat to medium-low.) Makes 4 servings.

MORE WAYS TO JAZZ UP CHICKEN

--Doll up cooked chicken breasts by adding a splash of balsamic vinegar and a little chicken broth (if desired) along with some pressed garlic to a little butter in the skillet. Remove cooked chicken, then reduce pan liquid over high heat (add some more balsamic, if necessary) and pour over chicken.

--Rub chicken breasts with a mixture of chili powder, ground cumin, garlic salt and cayenne pepper before sauteing in oil in a skillet on both sides. When cooked through, remove to plate. Add some lemon and lime juices to same skillet along with a few tablespoons jalapeno pepper jelly and heat to boiling. Spoon over chicken and garnish with lemon slices.

--Saute or pan grill chicken breasts. Remove from pan and add red and green pepper strips, sliced fresh mushrooms, chopped fresh tomatoes, salt and pepper; stir-fry until barely tender. Stir in some sherry wine and heat to boiling, stirring; reduce heat and cook a minute more. Serve over chicken atop noodles.

--For lemon basil chicken, top cooked chicken breasts with a combination of chicken broth, lemon juice and grated lemon peel reduced in a skillet. Add a generous sprinkling of chopped fresh basil.

--Zip up pan-grilled chicken breasts by heating with a generous amount of your favorite hickory-flavored barbecue sauce. Or heat some jarred chutney, chopped up, with a little rum, slivered almonds and raisins. Or doctor up a jar of chunky garden salsa (or peach or pineapple salsa) with canned drained corn, rinsed and drained black beans and some ground cumin. Serve hot or cold.

--Make a chicken topping with Greek overtones by heating chopped Greek olives, chopped tomatoes, chopped green onions and chopped cucumbers for a few minutes in a skillet along with a little white wine. Then sprinkle with diced feta cheese cubes and serve over chicken atop assorted greens.

--Heat marinated artichoke hearts with a splash of white wine and some chopped tomatoes until hot and serve over cooked chicken.

--Chopped fresh Asian vegetables, onions and oyster or hoisin sauce cooked together in a skillet is another good topping combo.

--One of my favorites - if you can afford the calories - is chicken with mustard cream sauce. Heat 1 cup (or more depending on amount of sauce desired) whipping cream with a few tablespoons or more Dijon mustard (to taste) in a large skillet over high to medium-high heat until reduced slightly. Pour over cooked chicken and serve with colorful fresh vegetables, pasta, rice or potatoes.

--Cook chicken breasts and remove from pan. Add a jar of spaghetti sauce to skillet and doctor it up with with some fennel seeds, a splash of red or white wine, a dash of Worcestershire sauce and lots of dried or fresh basil. Heat to boiling, reduce heat and simmer 1 to 2 minutes. Serve over chicken breasts and top with a sprinkling of shredded mozzarella cheese.

--For those who like using canned soups for sauce bases, heat a can of soup with a little milk, chopped green onions and bell peppers or other veggies and serve over cooked chicken breasts atop hot cooked rice.

--A splash of lemon juice, dry white wine, butter and chopped fresh dill weed heated together until boiling and cooked a few minutes makes a good sauce. Pour over chicken breasts and add chopped green onions. Another time, omit the dill weed and add drained capers to the lemon juice mixture.

- Natalie Haughton

CAPTION(S):

3 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) CHICKEN MARSALA

(2 -- color) BRIE AND APPLE CHICKEN BREASTS

(3 -- color) TACO CHICKEN WITH CORN SALSA

Box:

MORE WAYS TO JAZZ UP CHICKEN (see text)